This latest release of Sherlock provides new and advanced tools that enable manufacturers to create more sophisticated, real-world simulations, quickly and accurately. In addition to the new features, Sherlock includes upgrades and improvements to more than 10 existing features. Combined, the entire suite of Sherlock capabilities empowers companies to design better products faster and more efficiently.

About the Advanced Features:

Modeling Regions

Sherlock 5.0 includes added support for user-defined PCB modeling regions for FEA analysis or model export. Areas of particular interest can be viewed with greater detail, while other areas of the design remain less detailed, saving on computational resources. This new feature enables users to specify different meshing properties for different PCB areas, increasing model accuracy in certain areas without significantly increasing the overall FEA model complexity. This approach is useful when users want to create custom meshes for key areas of the PCB, but want the convenience of using mesh elements generated by Sherlock for everything else. Modeling regions can also be used to export only a subset of the PCB or to exclude one or more regions from the PCB model. This allows users to more easily integrate the models generated by Sherlock into larger custom created models.

Attached Heat Sinks

Sherlock has the capability to model various types of heat sinks in addition to the PCB, components, and mount points for Finite Element Analysis (FEA) purposes. In this new feature we’ve added the ability to create attachment points for heat sinks from mount points and modified the Heat Sink Editor to allow properties for multiple heat sinks to be modified at the same time. This new feature now allows for fast and easy staking on more complex boards with greater accuracy.

NX Nastran Support

In addition to its Abaqus FEA engine integration, Sherlock 5.0 now includes support for the NX Nastran FEA engine, of particular value to the Aerospace industry. Now Sherlock users can perform FEA analysis tasks using the NX Nastran engine and export mesh models to that engine using the NX Nastran Bulk Data File (BDF) format. This important addition enables aerospace engineers to reap the benefits of incorporating Sherlock analyses into their designs, significantly improving overall reliability.

Printed Through-Hole Analysis IMEC Model

Complementing the IPC-TR-579 model, Sherlock version 5.0 now incorporates the IMEC Plated Through-hole Fatigue model. This model can be used to predict failures of layered vias, eliminating the possibility of false positive results.

“Sherlock version 5.0 is yet another step toward creating model simulations that match the real world conditions and provide highly relevant, actionable information,” stated DfR Solutions CEO Craig Hillman. “Without requiring a huge staff of experts, spending hours and hours creating these complex models, manufacturers are now able to quickly and accurately predict and mitigate product failure. This significantly decreases product development time and increases productivity and profitability,” said Hillman.

About Sherlock Automated Design Analysis™ Software

Sherlock is the first-of-its-kind Automated Design Analysis software for analyzing, grading, and certifying the expected reliability of products at the circuit card assembly level. Based on the science of Physics or Failure, it is used by the electronics industry across all markets. Sherlock continues to evolve, incorporating new innovations and enhancements allowing users to manage increasingly complex analyses faster and more efficiently than ever before.

About DfR Solutions

DfR Solutions has world-renowned expertise in applying the science of Reliability Physics to electrical and electronics technologies and is a leading provider of quality, reliability, and durability (QRD) research and consulting for the electronics industry. The company’s integrated use of Physics of Failure (PoF) and Best Practices provides crucial insights and solutions early in product design and development and throughout the product life cycle. DfR Solutions specializes in providing knowledge- and science-based solutions to maximize and accelerate the product integrity assurance activities of their clients in every marketplace for electronic technologies (consumer, industrial, automotive, medical, military, telecom, oil drilling, and throughout the electronic component and material supply chain). For more information regarding DfR Solutions, call or email us.